This is the second year Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church in Colonial Heights has teamed up with Mercy Mall for the “Fellowship Feast.”

“There was a drastic need to feed the hungry on Thanksgiving Day. That a lot of people who truly could not afford a thanksgiving meal. So we decided to start doing this,” said Stephen Fontaine.

Fontaine rallied church members, and now more than 200 volunteers at Mt. Pleasant are pitching in.

“We can easily move our Thanksgiving to another day. So what our family decided to do is to serve on thanksgiving and it shoes our family how important it is to give back to other people,” he said.

The turkeys are ready, and dessert is on the way for families in the tri-cities who otherwise wouldn’t have a meal.

“There’s a lot of people who are hungry, who would like to have a Thanksgiving just like everybody else, and this is one way we can reach out and help folks and administer to them,” said Joey Anthony, the pastor at Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church.

Last year, the group delivered 200 meals to neighbors. This year, volunteers have 800 meals ready.

“Basically went to some focus neighborhoods where we know there are foods of people needing foods, and we handed out flyers. We got feedback, and we will meet them at a central location and delver those meals and they can take them back to their homes,” said Fontaine.

Those who want meals can call on an individual basis or choose to come to the church to pick it up.

“We just want to share the love of Jesus in the community, and let them know we care,” said Anthony.

“I think our community wants to love on other people, and i think it’s exciting that people are willing to give up their thanksgiving in large quantities to come back and serve their neighbors around them,” said Fontaine.

Mt. Pleasant’s is one of three sites packing meals for Thursday. In total, churches and Mercy Mall will prepare 2,000 meals for needy families.

If you’d like to receive a meal, you can contact Stephen Fontaine at 804-720-6098.